Set in the 1930’s, it is just before Christmas, as the audience peeks in on the action taking place in the home of rich factory owner Ernest W. Stanley in the small town of Mesalia, Ohio. As an invited guest, Sheridan Whiteside joins the family for dinner. However, his stay is prolonged after breaking his hip in a fall on their doorstep.

While recuperating at the Stanley home, Whiteside begins to meddle in their affairs while trying their patience with his outlandish antics.